


This was never supposed to go this way

by ReindeerAntlersofDoom



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Bisexual Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm hoping that makes sense, Kinda, Nonbinary Harley Keener, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Soulmates, Wingfic, but they are wings that are like tattoos that people are born with, eventually, they aren't actually wings with feathers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28387410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReindeerAntlersofDoom/pseuds/ReindeerAntlersofDoom
Summary: One would think that with all the technology right under people's fingertips, that it would be easier to find soulmates. But it just wasn’t the case. Instead people just accepted the inked on wings as part of their lives and moved on. Meeting new people, getting married, having children. All without a care for the black and white wings etched deeply into their skin. Some people even opted to have theirs removed, not that it ever worked. Whether they liked it or not, soulmates were still just a part of the biological makeup of the human race.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	This was never supposed to go this way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FrogOnAToadstool](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrogOnAToadstool/gifts).



> This fic is for my absolutely magnificent friend!! I love them so much and it amazes me everyday that I even got to meet them cause they are just that wonderful and they deserve the world!!! Happy Birthday moonbeam!! <3 I hope you enjoy this!!
> 
> On a much more boring side note though, this is my first time writing nonbinary Harley, so if there is anything I messed up please let me know so i can try my best to fix it.

For most people, soulmates were a thing of the past. Vaguely reminiscent of some bygone era when things felt far more simple. Now, soulmates were questioned for their validity, if they truly meant anything. It was more a thing of beauty now, something to show off.

Of course, some people still did put all their faith in it, and there was always one couple who walked around with their brightly colored wings on display for the world to see. But that couple was becoming increasingly rare. There were too many people in the world to try and find a soulmate anyways, it was simply hopeless. 

One would think that with all the technology right under people's fingertips, that it would be easier to find soulmates. But it just wasn’t the case. Instead people just accepted the inked on wings as part of their lives and moved on. Meeting new people, getting married, having children. All without a care for the black and white wings etched deeply into their skin. Some people even opted to have theirs removed, not that it ever worked. Whether they liked it or not, soulmates were still just a part of the biological makeup of the human race.

When they were younger, Harley had thought too many times about getting theirs removed. Even with the nonexistent success rate, some small part of them hoped, prayed even, that someday they could be the first successful mark removal candidate. They had known deep down inside though, it would never happen. Which bothered them a lot. Because for Harley, their wings had felt like more of a nuisance than a beauty, an obstruction of normalcy and happiness. Because usually a person's wings only went to their shoulders, easily covered with a shirt or long hair. But Harley’s? Harley’s feathers crept across and over their shoulders, the inky outline spreading to the middle of their forearms. Seemingly waiting to burst and bloom in vibrant, stunning colors. They had hoped that one day they would be able to see it, but they knew that it just wasn’t going to happen, it was just better to try and get them removed.

It wasn’t like they hadn’t had a reason either; it had been the subject of much ridicule when they were younger, bringing about shame and embarrassment that Harley had struggled to cope with for years (and years). Only now that they were older, much to Harley’s own displeasure, were the wings ignored. It was frustrating, so many formative years spent feeling like they had to hide and be afraid. It was all just so pointless, because after a while of living in a bigger city, they realized that no one really cares and all the crying fits and nights spent awake were not even worth it.

There had been good days too of course. Sometimes on evenings after school but before their mama came home, they would sit on the living room floor and let their sister Abby color in their wings with her markers. Bright colors would cover the wings, messily falling out of the lines. Everytime it was the prettiest thing Harley had ever seen. Then their mama would come home and shake her head, she already did so much to keep the house clean and she didn’t need random marker stains anywhere from her childrens carelessness. So she would heave a deep sigh and gently direct Harley toward the shower. It was there that Harley would watch that beautiful rainbow swirl down the drain, no longer able to pretend and live in the dream that someday they would find love. 

But that dream wasn’t needed anymore, there was no more need to pretend, and the more that Harley stared into the mirror the more obvious it became. Their wings flourished, beautiful reds and pinks the starting feathers, slowly melding into the deep blues that adorned the tips. 

Their wings were colored.

_ Their wings were colored. _

It was very startling. They had just been going to take a shower when a tiny glimpse of blue caught their eye. They hadn’t thought much of it at first, but on their way out, it happened again. That’s when they noticed their wings. That’s when they started to panic. 

Sometime during the day they had met their soulmates, their person, the one meant for them.  _ And they had missed it _ . Love had been right at their fingertips, just barely brushing them before slipping away back into the shadows. 

They hadn’t meant to but they had started crying. Their wings were so beautiful but what did they have for it? A single day and a load of sadness. Sinking to the floor, Harley pulled a towel over their back, repeating over and over  _ out of sight out of mind out of sight out of mind out of sight out of mi- _

Who could it be?

_ Out of sight out of mind. _

They had been so many places today, it had been their first day in New York city, visiting Tony for the first time in years. 

_ Out of sight out of mind _ .

Had it been at the coffee shop? Taking the subway with Tony’s new intern? Maybe it was the park that they had walked through with Happy on their way to get the coffee, one caramel mocha, one straight black coffee, two coffees with enough cream and sugar in them to kill an army. 

_ Out of sight out of mind _ .

Or maybe it had been yesterday, it wasn’t like they had checked their wings before getting on the plane.

_ Out of sight out of mind.  _

Harley didn’t know if there was any way that they could get this out of their mind. They had always assumed that when their wings finally bloomed that they would be excited. That it would be a celebration. Not a breakdown on the floor of their mentors bathroom.

They slowly picked themself off the ground, keeping their wings tightly covered with the towel. The shower forgotten behind them. Catching a glance of themself in the mirror they cringed. Red rimmed eyes and cheeks strangely red from the stress of crying. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. 

Flicking off the lights, Harley tried to ignore the mirror as they took one last look inside, just to make sure there was no sign that they had been there. Maybe a shower would have been helpful but there was no space for calm in Harley’s rattling brain. 

  
Putting on their pajamas, they tucked themself into bed. Letting their eyes drift around the ceiling, doing all they could to keep their mind off of their wings. Their colorful, beautiful wings. 

They fell asleep that night with tears running down their cheeks, leaving dark marks on their pillow.

~

The next morning passed in something more akin to a daze for Harley. Little things stuck out; Tony making breakfast, Tony’s intern coming and joining them, but the rest all felt like a blur. Even now, sitting in the lab with their gentle fingers pushing screws into place, they weren’t really focusing just going through the motions. 

“Hey Harley?” Tony’s intern said, what was his name, Peter? Yeah that sounded right. 

“Hm?”

“You’ve been twisting that screw into place for five minutes now.” 

Harley pulled back, their hands coming into focus. Peter wasn’t wrong, they were still on the same screw they had been on five minutes ago. Looking over to Peter, they also saw that Tony was staring at them with his face tensed with concern.

“Oh! Sorry about that, I’m just kinda tired so I wasn’t really paying attention.” they said with a fake laugh. It wasn’t like they were just going to unload all the problems of the night before on Tony and Peter, they wanted them to like them for god's sake.

“Tired? Is everything alright?” Tony said, setting his own robot down.

“Yeah, it’s all good, just not used to sleeping in a bed that isn’t my own.” they smiled. 

“Hm.” Tony said unconvincingly. “If you are tired maybe you shouldn't be in the lab.”

He definitely had a point but right now the lab was the only thing keeping Harley sane.

“Nah I’ll be fine. If you are still awake enough to be in here old man, I am too.”

Peter, who had reburied himself in his robot, let out a tiny chuckle. “They are really not wrong Mr. Stark. I’m not even sure you slept last night.”

Tony gasped dramatically, putting a hand to his chest. “You are taking their side? Betrayal!”

Harley rolled their eyes. “You know that I am right, you have no leg to stand on.”

Grabbing a screwdriver from a nearby desk, Tony pointed it mockingly at Harley. “Don’t think you’ve won this one. Your words reek of slander and lies.”

“Yeah yeah old man.”

Tony walked back to his project, grumbling and muttering under his breath. After he was far enough away, Peter spoke up in a faint whisper that Harley had to lean in to hear. “While you do have a point with him being too tired to be telling you to go, you both really should be out of the lab right now.”

Harley shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a rebel at heart.” even if they had started out as acting, smiling and laughing was very infectious and Harley could feel their mood rising.

“I’ll never be able to win this.” Peter sighed, sitting on top of Harley’s desk.

“Nope, you are hopelessly outnumbered.”

Peter snorted. “Please I could beat both of you in a heartbeat.”

“Whatever you want to tell yourself.”

“You two better not be conspiring against me again!” Tony yelled from his corner of the lab. Peter jumped off the desk and grabbed a tiny screw from a different nearby desk. Taking quick aim he launched it into the air in Tony’s direction. There was no way that would hit him would it?

“AGh!”

Okay so that might have hit him. Harley shoved their hand over their mouth, only slightly muffling their laughter.

Peter turned back and winked at Harley. A small flutter felt its way through their heart, then a little bit of panic set in. This was not the time to be developing a crush. This was in fact the  _ worst _ possible time. They had just met their soulmate somewhere in the world and now they were already betraying that. God they felt like a horrible person.

Peter continued. “Don’t worry, we can conspire against him all we want. Honestly once the hero worship wears off, he is like the one lame dad that everyone likes anyways cause they make bad jokes and have a cool house.”

Tony made a noise of mock disdain. 

Giving Harley a thumbs up, he started walking back to his desk, grabbing a pair of goggles and a blowtorch as he went. They watched as he snapped the goggles into place and lit up the blowtorch, looking both beautiful and slightly maniacal. The little butterflies in their stomach were not going away and their heart was beating like a steady drum against their chest. 

Harley pressed the heels of their hands against their eyes. This was going to be tough and they had no idea how they were going to deal with any of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful morning/day/night, you deserve it!


End file.
